Malaysia Airlines Berhad takes to skies for first time

He said the Malaysian government is committed to ensuring the “new and rejuvenated Malaysia Airlines takes off on a strong note”.

Following Malaysia Airlines receiving an Air Operator Certificate (AOC) from state regulators, the company today (Tuesday 1 September) reformed as a new carrier, Malaysia Airlines Berhad.

The Malaysia Airlines logo still appeared on the screens at KLIA and the uniforms won by the staff were still the same.

In a statement at its website it said that the change in the company will not impact the day-to-day operations of MAB.

“We have been working hard to make the transition seamless and we proudly continue to serve and welcome you on-board”, it said.

The transition process had been a daunting and controversial task as it involved terminating the contracts of 6,000 out of the 20,000 employees, as part of its effort to restructure the airline’s financials.

Some 98 per cent of Malaysian Airline System Bhd’s (MAS) employees have accepted their offers with Malaysia Airlines Bhd (MAB), said Khazanah Nasional Bhd.

The centre was created to support exiting MAS employees by organising training courses for upskilling purposes, as well as arranging job interviews for those looking for new jobs.

“But we need to sacrifice for the sake of ours and the company’s future”, he said. It is, after all, human nature to fear and even hate the unknown.

The company’s Chief Executive Officer Christoph Mueller, along with the senior management and MAB staff, held a special walkabout from Monday through Tuesday at the Kuala Lumpur global Airport to greet passengers, marking the beginning of the new national carrier.

The new airline is to begin operations as the new entity September 1.

A government pensioner who did not wish to be identified said whether it was called MAS or MAB, the national carrier had always been his choice for air travel.